Do I Need To Unplug My Traeger?

Wood pellet grills are currently one of the hottest cooking trends, and Traeger is the most popular pellet grill brand. If you’ve recently purchased one or are going to do so, you’ve probably questioned whether you should unplug your Traeger when you’re finished cooking.

Here are some of the things I discovered while using my Ironwood 650:

No, you don’t have to unplug your Traeger every time you use it. Traeger grills are meant to be powered by electricity. Turn the power switch off once you’ve finished cooking and completed the shutdown cycle. While there’s nothing wrong with unplugging it as well, it’s not required.

However, there’s a lot more to know about Traeger barbecues!

How long should a Traeger be left on the shutdown cycle? Is leaving a Traeger unattended safe?

Continue reading to learn more!

Do you need a new Traeger pellet grill?

My Ironwood 650 is fantastic. There’s plenty of room for grilling on the two racks, and it’s straightforward to use. My barbecue is on my back deck, and my previous grill (a charcoal/propane combo) is on our stone patio across the street.

The great thing about Trager grills is that you won’t have to spend time looking for the most outstanding deal. They demand that all merchants sell at the same price. So if you go to Amazon, Home Depot, or Traeger’s website, the price will always be the same.

So don’t waste your time surfing!

Is it necessary to plug in Traeger grills?

Yes. Because Traeger grills are electric grills with multiple electrical components, they must be plugged in to operate. There is no way to feed the wood pellets into the auger or burn them without electricity.

The actual quantity of electricity used is negligible. Its primary function is to feed pellets through an auger and to control the thermostat.

However, all contemporary Traeger barbecues come equipped with WiFi. While WiFi isn’t required for operation, it is one of the features that make Traegers so enjoyable to use.

If your kid announces that she wants your renowned BBQ chicken for dinner when you pick her up from school, no problem! Use the mobile app to preheat your Traeger and begin cooking as soon as you arrive home (assuming you left the power switch on and the Traeger turned on).

Obviously, you should not do this if you have a cover on yours.

How long should a Traeger be left on a shutdown cycle?

The short answer is about 25 minutes - but generally till it’s done.

You might be tempted to turn off the barbecue after grilling a beautiful dinner or smoking an epic feast. That would be a colossal blunder!

Traegers are required to go through a shutdown cycle. This allows for burning the remaining pellets in the firepot, and the fan then cools things down.

If you have an older model, flip the dial to its “shut down cycle” after you’ve removed the food from the grill. Press and hold the silver power button on the front panel on newer versions (not the on-off switch on the back). The “shut down cycle” is then started.

Close the grill cover and wait for the shutdown process to finish. This takes roughly 25 minutes on my Ironwood, and however, I believe it is closer to 10 minutes on older devices. The fan will turn off on its own and switch the power switch to off once the fan has stopped spinning. That concludes our discussion.

There’s a lot more to learn about using your Traeger grill than how to turn it off.

Preheating Traegers is also necessary. It’s, however, as simple as turning on the oven.

It can be difficult to ignite a gas barbecue. Especially if the starter has stopped operating or if it hasn’t been used in a long time. If the starter fails to light, a long lighter can be used to relight it; however, I assume this is not exceptionally safe.

While it’s pretty simple to light a charcoal barbecue, using too much lighter fluid might be hazardous. It’s also filthy, which makes the cleanup a challenge. On the other hand, Traeger grills are straightforward to light and maintain. Set the dial to “smoke” or use the app from your smartphone to get started.

What is the procedure for turning off the smoker?

To switch off a Traeger, remove the food from the grill and then click the shutdown cycle button to finish the shutdown cycle. When comparing older Traegers to current Traegers, there are some differences. When the shutdown cycle is complete, it usually takes around 20 minutes to toggle the on/off switch.

Traegers can be turned off just as quickly as they can be turned on.

“When the fan has automatically shut off, you are done,” Traeger says on their Facebook page. Turn off the power, disconnect the grill, close any power outlets, and put extension cables away. However, after you’ve started the shutdown process, there’s nothing further that you need to do.

I turn off the power when I’m finished, but I don’t unplug my computer. According to Traeger, any remaining wood pellets in the hopper should also be removed. However, unless you’re upgrading to a different flavor of wood pellet, I wouldn’t do it if you’ll be cooking again in a day or two.

Cooling down with Traeger is quick and easy. That is extremely useful! This is a fantastic alternative to charcoal or a typical wood barbecue. You have to wait an eternity for the coals to cool down before cleaning the grill while using charcoal. And because you can only use the charcoal once, every time you use it, you’ll have an incredible mess to clean up.

If there are still some lovely pieces left, you don’t have to change the wood every time you cook, but you will need to wait for it to cool down before you can do anything with it. However, there are numerous distinctions to be made between wood, charcoal, lump hardwood, and pellets.

Is leaving a Traeger unattended safe?

When cooking on a Traeger, please don’t leave it unattended. A Traeger is relatively safe if it is cleaned and maintained regularly. So you don’t have to stand next to it the entire time, but I wouldn’t leave the house for more than a couple of hours either.

First and foremost, keep in mind that there is always a risk any time you cook with fire.

Grease backup or a back burn in the auger might cause a fire. Ensure to clean your Traeger properly after each usage to avoid a grease fire.

I use aluminum foil to cover the drip pan on the inside. But, depending on how messy it becomes, I change it every 2-3 times. When too much grease has accumulated on it it is a sign of a fire waiting to happen.

Although the heat isn’t high enough to ignite a grease fire while smoking, it’s still crucial to keep grease to a minimum.

Wood pellets can get stuck in the hopper and need to be agitated out before falling into the auger.

Also, make sure your pellets are dehydrated. The auger may become stuck if it contains moisture. If the auger clogs while full of pellets, you run the risk of a back burner.

It’s also crucial to ensure that your Traeger isn’t near anything combustible if you’re leaving it unattended. Traeger recommends that grills be kept at least 18 inches away from any walls.

Last but not the least, make use of WiFire. WiFire allows you to operate your grill, monitor the interior temperature of your meat, and even adjust the grill temperature if it gets too hot. If you’re grilling vegetables on your Traeger, high grill temperatures can result in overdone vegetables, and that irritates everyone!

Is it possible to use a Traeger with an extension cord?

Yes.

A Traeger’s power cord is approximately six and a half feet long. Everyone who appreciates grilling enjoys taking advantage of the pleasant weather. However, six and a half feet isn’t always sufficient to keep smoke out of your home.

It’s good to use an extension cord to keep smoke from rolling into your house, especially on those extended drags.

However, make sure to use only an outdoor extension cord with a three-prong grounding socket for safety. Traeger also suggests using a GFCI outlet. That’s the type of outlet with a built-in micro breaker that trips if there’s a power outage. There will be one in most (but not all) outdoor stores.

Check your machine’s label for the amp draw from the Traeger as well as the extension cord’s length.

You should also read the Traeger manual that came with it.

The optimal extension cable to use with your model will be specified in your manual. While the Timberline model’s handbook makes no mention of utilizing an extension cord for North American customers, it does clearly state that EU customers should not use an adapter or extension cord.

Have I covered all of your questions concerning whether or not you should unplug your Traeger?

This article discussed whether or not you should unplug your Traeger at the end of each cooking session. Traegers are electrically powered wood pellet grills, and they must be plugged in and turned on when they are in use.

When you’re finished with the shutdown procedure, though, it’s absolutely safe to turn off the power switch and walk away, leaving the computer plugged in. Unplugging it isn’t a bad idea, but it isn’t required.

You’re looking for a new Traeger pellet grill and you’ve come to the right place.

My Ironwood 650 is a fantastic piece of equipment. There’s plenty of room for grilling on the two racks, and it’s pretty simple to use. My barbecue is on my back deck. My previous grill (a charcoal/propane combination) is on our stone patio across the yard.

The great thing about Trager grills is that you won’t have to spend time looking for the most outstanding deal. They demand that all merchants sell at the same price. So if you go to Amazon, Home Depot, or Traeger’s website, the price will always be the same.